Can you Imagine a Day Without Water?

Whitby, Ontario – Durham Regional Council has proclaimed today, October 23, as Imagine a Day Without Water. The campaign is part of a worldwide day of education and advocacy to recognize the true value of water. Organized by The Value of Water Coalition, the campaign highlights some of the innovative solutions that are being implemented to help solve water-related challenges in communities worldwide.

The hidden infrastructure in Durham Region that reliably brings clean water to homes and businesses, and takes it away after it has been used, is showing the effects of more than a century of non-stop work—24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. The challenges our drinking water and wastewater systems face are multi-faceted. Flooding, infrastructure failure, age and climate change are just a few of the issues stressing our water and wastewater systems.

“The goal of Imagine a Day Without Water is to raise awareness about the crucial need for investment in our water infrastructure systems,” said John Presta, Director of Environmental Services. “We want to educate residents on the many challenges that affect our aging water infrastructure, which requires significant investment and planning to solve. Durham is a growing community, and that growth means an increased demand for reliable water supply. It’s also Waste Reduction Week this week, and there is a display outside of Regional Headquarters today that demonstrates just how much we rely on single-use plastics everyday. Through continued investment in our drinking water and wastewater systems, we can reduce our reliance on single-use plastics, and maintain a reliable and safe resource for generations to come.”

For more information on Durham Region’s water supply, visit durham.ca/Water. For more details about waste reduction in Durham Region, visit durham.ca/Waste.

Drawing challenge: can you picture what water means to you?

In celebration of Imagine a Day Without Water, the Region has launched a drawing challenge open to Durham residents 18 years of age and under. Draw or paint a picture of what water means to you and your family. If your drawing is one of the several chosen, your creation may be featured in the Spring 2019 issue of Durham Works, on our website, or in Regional Water reports! Challenge entry ends Sunday, December 1. For more information visit durham.ca/WaterChallenge and to enter, email your creation to WaterChallenge@durham.ca. Good luck!

* Please note that by sharing images you are giving consent to the Region of Durham to use your images in any future promotions and materials.*

– 30 –

For more information, please contact Corporate Communications.